Stranger Things
by allonsy-wolf
Summary: Rose Tyler is on the run from the government. The Doctor runs from everything else. (she wants the stars, and a reason to forgive herself. he wants a better future, and he's willing to give her anything it takes Ten x Rose AU, rewritten
1. longing

**Alas, the time has come. I present, my dear and faithful readers, ****_Stranger Things_**

In hindsight, it was funny how it seemed fate had pushed her there, weaving across itself just to put her on an abandoned street at two in the morning. How it had placed her in the one place that would start the better years of her life.

It was simple enough, really, her decision to leave the sidewalk into the dark alley. _Broken thrives in darkness_, she thought grimly, slipping into the alley and pressing herself into the shadows without a struggle. She scarcely moved until she had heard the quick falling footsteps pass her by, leaving behind scattered leaves and a breathless fugitive.

She counted to thirty-seven, as she always did before she ever truly left a location. Even after her carefully counted seconds, she took quiet steps out of the alley and back onto the sidewalk.

Each step she took was gentle on the pavement, unlike the loud and unsteady fall of the police. She has long since mastered the art of escaping without a sound. It was almost too easy to blend with the darkness, she knew.

She stopped on a street corner, staring down at her feet. Her old shoes were worn to the sole, held together by fragile strings. She had been running for so long. And she was so _tired_. Her gaze shifted to the stars, the only objects in this universe she knew never judged her. Her breathless wonder expanded into a burning gratitude and awe for those tiny, twinkling lights up in the sky. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to be up there with them—to travel among them, to be a part of them, to know something other than the world her two feet were placed on. She'd always dreamt of being a star.

But those were childish hopes.

"Stop where you are!"

She winced at the words. She wasn't fazed by the police noticing her, but their sheer stupidity at asking a girl already stuck to the ground to stop was baffling to her. She turned around slowly, and her awestruck face was replaced by the most mischievous smile.

"Hands in the air!" the guard ordered. He was young, she noticed, and probably new if the shaking of the weapon in his hands was anything to go by. He was almost kind of cute, in an authority figure kind of way.

She lifted her hands up in mock surrender, and asked with a tongue-in-cheek grin, "Do I have permission to wave them, like I just don't care?"

She watched as his mouth curl at the edges, fighting back laughter. _Definitely a new one._ He steadied his gun on her, face a mask of authority, and barked, "Don't move."

She sighed and shook her head. "Sorry, babe, but I'm already gone."

The guard seemed frazzled for a moment, his gun dropping slightly, and Rose took the opportunity to turn on her heel and run. "Hey!" she heard his panicked yell, and his thudding footsteps as he started to chase after her.

But she had already mastered the perfect escape plan.

It didn't take long to lose him, and she smiled to herself. That was the longest a new officer had ever managed to keep up with her. "You'll go places, newbie," she said aloud, speaking to the frigid air. "You just have to find someone else to take down."

Her pace had once again slowed, and she took a moment to collect her environment. Her stars were covered by clouds now, their light only just breaking through. Abandoned confetti and streamers scattered themselves throughout the alley, carried by the smallest breeze. A smashed hat that read, _happy new year_, was pressed under her worn shoe, the morbid yellow font mocking against the once-white fabric. She picked up the hat, holding it by the corner.

January the first.

She'd been running for a year.

Her thoughts shifted to Jimmy Stone, who had put her in this predicament a year ago. She thought of where he had landed. And she knew he deserved it. She tossed the hat back to the ground, and stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jacket. She knew she needed to change soon, to go back under the radar. But the stars were as lovely as every, only partially covered by a few clouds that spat out a pathetic amount of snow.

Snow.

It was snowing on New Years.

She almost smiled. It was perfect, to her, the pitiful snowfall bursting through the stars to tickle her eyelids. She closed her eyes and breathed in deep. The snow was pure, the night perfect, and she could have sworn she lived a normal life. But her eyes snapped open and she scuffed her feet and began her sojourn once again.

She watched her shoes for a while as she walked, wondering where, and how, to get a new pair. She didn't notice the soft tread of another person until they collided.

She fell to the ground with a surprised, _oomph!_ and yelled at herself for her stupidity, to crash into someone because she was watching her shoes.

"My bad, my bad!" a male voice said, and her eyes snapped to a tall man scrambling to his feet. His hand jerked towards her, but she eyed it warily. "Wasn't watching where I was going. Bad idea, really, when you're walking by a street corner. There's almost always another person coming around it. Bit daft, honestly, to be watching your shoes while you're walking."

Her eyes widened, and she snapped, "Well, what's it to you if I was? I've got plenty going on in my life to have the right to worry 'bout shoes!"

The man stumbled slightly, startled by her fiery response. "No, no, no! I didn't mean—well, I was talking about myself."

She blinked. She wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or suspicion that filled her. But it was swallowing her slowly, and warming her frozen toes. "Yeah," she mumbled. She pushed herself up on her own, ignoring the hand of a stranger she'd bumped into and insulted.

The man's brown eyes were hurt, and it was suddenly glaringly obvious how attractive he was. She cleared her throat. "Well, cheers."

She must have been imagining it, because his eyes shifted from temporary pain to a sadness that seemed to consume him. "Oh, yeah," he said hastily, sounding more cheerful than his eyes appeared. "Happy New Year, eh?'

She didn't reply, too frazzle and frightened, and instead turned and began to walk away. Her heart was beating fast at the confrontation, knowing he could have been anything but ordinary and she would have wandered right into his trap.

"Wait, miss!"

Her heartbeat sped up, and she turned slowly. The same man was holding something in his hand. Her own hand fluttered to her pocket, which was empty.

She strode to him and took it out of his hand, slipping it once again into her pocket. "Thanks," she said breathlessly. "I can't lose that locket."

"It would be a waste of such a pretty thing," he agreed. His eyes were soft as he watched her.

It had been too long since anyone had looked at her like that.

"Yeah, well," she said, voice catching in her throat and sticking there. "Thanks for saving it."

He smiled at her, and she couldn't help but smile back. He didn't even give her a chance to turn before he spoke once again.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked bluntly, and she rolled her eyes, shifting her weight from one foot to another.

"You just did."

"Another one, then."

She debated for a moment, before settling on the notion that this man wasn't harmful, and was merely curious. "Shoot."

"What's a pretty, young girl like yourself doing out on street corners at two in the morning?" he asked, and his eyes were concerned.

"It's New Years," she countered. "What's your excuse?"

He seemed to stumble for words for a moment, before settling on, "Just, um, browsing."

"For what, homeless drunks?" she retorted, and he laughed. She couldn't help but laugh a little, too.

"Caught me," he said, throwing his hands up in surrender. Rose smiled again, and then tried to leave again. "I guess I've got to go."

_Was she imagining the softness of his voice?_

"Off to browsing for you," she said, and was surprised her voice was just as soft. She turned quickly, but hesitated and turned back. "See ya."

She didn't notice him watching her as she went, and couldn't feel the longing he had for her as much as she had for the stars.

**And thus concludes our first rewritten chapter. Please leave a review, drop a PM, favorite, follow, or do any of those lovely things to let me know your feelings. Until next Thursday, darlings!**

**Kat x**


	2. run

_dedicated to McKenzieAnne, for pushing me through my block and leaving a lovely first review_

**Chapter Two**

She was enjoying her day, before they caught up to her.

Now, the bright warm calm of the sunlight was broken by a rapid footfall. She'd always been a fast runner. But they'd never been so close to catching her. Her heart pounded rang in her ears, and her adrenaline pumped through her veins. Through her fear of being caught burst a thrill of running once again, and it almost brought a smile to her face.

Rose's breath caught in her throat as she approached an alley. They had slowed down behind her, only enough for her to slip in without their notice.

The police ran by in a matter of seconds, leaving her pressed against the wall and without breath. When she finally let the smallest puff of relief escape her lips, she heard the sound of a gun locking onto its target.

"Got you now, missy."

She tried to move her feet, to fly away, to lift her voice up to the world and scream until her vocal chords bled. But all she could do was close her eyes and whisper, "Maybe you finally have caught me."

And then a hand slipped into hers, warm and calloused and right in all the ways it shouldn't be. Her eyes flew open, and she gawked at the face of the stranger she had met weeks before. His face broke into a huge grin, and he whispered, "Run."

A gunshot rang out behind them as he tugged her along, and she startled in response.

"This way, yeah?" He yelled above the noise of scuffling feet behind them. "Trust me."

He pulled her out of the alley and they ran, hands intertwined, until he reached a blue box and began yanking on the door. "M'sorry!" he shouted, giving the door one move vicious yank before it heaved open. He gestured, hands as wild as his hair, for her to go in. "My fault they're out tonight. Dunno why they went after you, unless they thought I had an accomplice. Odd, honestly, they saw me alone before I escaped them earlier today. Guess they never stopped the manhunt. My ransom must be huge! I've always wanted a big ransom for my head. You're staring at me."

Startled by his change of topic, Rose looked at the blue box he stood in front of. "This is a box."

"Yeah," he agreed happily. "Now into the box you go, or else we're gonna get caught."

"It's a box," she said again, dumbfounded. "You want me to hide out in a box."

"Yes," he sighed, somewhat impatiently.

"Bit...snug." She commented, eyeing the box with a wary eye. He was bouncing on his heels now, eyes brighter than the sun, and definitely lighter than the night she'd first met him. His grin had doubled in size, and he shrugged with a lazy roll of his shoulders.

"Ah, this is only the shell!" the man said, gesturing inside once again. "Now, it's the only place we've got before the police turn that corner in three seconds, so are you in the snug box, or not?"

She gawked at him again, but the sirens growing closer made her push her way inside without much more hesitation.

She couldn't even get passed the doorway.

The space was huge, domed, and something straight out of a movie. He pushed her forward a little to close the door behind her, then skipped around her towards the middle of the room. His arms opened wide, gesturing with pride to the enormous room they stood in.

"Welcome to the good ol' Ship TARDIS. Best sailor in her day, I'll tell you that!"

"But... It's huge!" Rose exploded, uprooting from her spot on the grating to run around the room. "It's impossible! It's beautiful. Oh. Oh, God, it's alien."

She came to a halt in front him, eyes wide with wonder, and he beams at her.

"Very good observation," he commented, tone tiptoeing into sarcastic. But he was still smiling at her, and she couldn't stop the questions that began to burst from her lips.

"How'd you manage it, then? Getting the outside to fit 'round the inside so tightly?" Rose inquired, lip quirking up in a disarming smile.

The man shrugged. "Alien tech?" he tried, testing the words in the light air. Rose almost laughed.

"Alright then. Next question," she continued, her mouth a waterfall of inquiries, and the man beamed at her. "Who are you?"

"The Doctor," he said, title rolling off his tongue easily. Rose furrowed her brow.

"That it?" she asked, and he nodded. "Bit dull, don't you think? 'The Doctor'. You must think you're so impressive!"

His grin deflated at that, and his chest puffed out as he mumbled, "I am so impressive."

Rose laughed, unable to hold back her giggles. He lightened once again, and she continued her questions. "Next. How'd you mean, the police were after you earlier?"

His smile turned more lazy once again, and she wished she were more annoyed by the expression he couldn't stop wearing. "It's the same old life, day to day. Try to save the world, end up with the police on your tail."

Rose tensed at his words, eyes wide and mouth open in a gentle 'o'. "Sounds..."

"A bit mad, yeah," he finished for her. "Any other questions?"

"Alien," she said, slow as she tested the world. "Is that what you are, then?"

"Yep!" the Doctor replied, leaning against a console in the middle of the domed room. "That alright with you?"

"Yeah," she stammered, a bit too quick. "It's brilliant, honestly. Can't imagine how you've done it."

He shrugged with an easy roll of his shoulders. "Little bit of jiggery pokery and you're good to go."

"Too bad I failed that class," Rose said, face straight she sighed with mock longing. The Doctor laughed.

She wanted to admit the sound was nice, but instead it just reminded her where she was.

"What's your name, then?" he asked. "My turn for questions."

"Rose," she blurted, and it dawned on her too late that she had given her real name.

"Like the galaxy," the Doctor commented with a nod, and Rose shook her head.

"Like the flower. I need to go home," she mumbled, turning to the door. Her hand lingered on the handle, and she was only just pushing it open when the Doctor stopped her.

"It was nice meeting you, Rose," he mentioned, voice oozing with ease and laziness and a confidence she could only wish she had. "I'll be seeing you soon."

It was her second time walking away from him. But this time, she couldn't stop herself from turning back to glance at him once last time.

His smile was worth her hesitation.

**A/N: Thank you for all your lovely follows. Please drop a review! You all deserve much love.**


	3. Chapter 3

_dedicated to the fabulous SinkingintheAbyssOfFeels, whose review left me laughing giddily_

**Chapter Three**

Her watch read 11:47, and she was going to _murder _Mickey Smith.

She closed her eyes and sighed, shoving her numb fingers back into her pocket. The warmth she sought for escaped through torn holes in worn fabric. It was just another item to add to her list of necessities, she thought with a scowl.

She peeked through her lashes, hoping to perhaps see him turning the corner.

"Arse," she told the empty air. "Never did know how to show up on time."

Out of habit, she surveyed her area. It was her usual meeting spot with Mickey, but she hadn't met him there in a month. The last time she'd met with him, the sun had set the sky with pale pinks and oranges. Now, it was just a dull grey. The snow had long since melted, leaving ugly slush to reside in the gutters along with empty beer bottles and broken promises. The only trace of the New Year's snowfall was the brisk air it had left behind.

Across the street was a playground that she had spent her days on as a child. Now, two children in their heavy coats ran around it with delighted screams, transforming the metal bars into the grandest of castles.

"We must save the princess!" Rang the small voice of one child, and Rose smiled at the innocent enthusiasm.

For a brief moment, she was jealous. Not long ago, she had been innocent and enthusiastic about the little things. But time and circumstance had hardened her heart, and gave àgiven her cause for envy.

She checked her watch again. 11:52.

"Honestly," She said with a huff of irate breath. "The nerve of some people."

"Quite right," chirped a voice from behind her, and Rose's heart stopped beating.

She turned on instinct, and stared in shock at her alien stranger. "You startled me," she stated, blunt.

"The nerve of me," he deadpanned. The corner of her lip curled just enough to make him beam. "There it is! A good ol' like a smile to improve someone's day."

"Are you following me?" Rose accused, but she couldn't wipe the smile off her face.

"Nah," the Doctor said, waving the statement away with dismissive hands. "Where's the fun in that?"

"The looming threat of getting punched?" she suggested, and his eyes narrowed. She could feel his concern as he looked her up and down. She didn't feel his wandering eyes surveying her assets, as most eyes did when looking her in a similar manner. Instead, it seemed he was evaluating for injuries. His gaze caught on her swollen eye, cut lip, wrapped wrist, but didn't stop there. She tensed for a moment, not wanting to explain what had happened.

_drunk_ _men and black alleys and violent, vengeful hands and stars and darkness behind her eyelids as she sucked in her last conscious breath -_

But he didn't say anything. He just looked at her, with sorrow in his eyes, and she hated his silence more than the words she expected to hear.

"Is there a reason you're here, then?" Rose snapped, before the tears could prick her eyes and cause her to spiral out of control.

His eyes jumped back to hers. "I told you I'd be seeing you soon, Rose."

Her breath was shaky, and _god_, she hated the way he made her feel.

"Well, you saw me," she offered, throwing her hands up. "But I'm waiting for someone. And he's late. So he could be here any second."

She didn't mention why Mickey was coming, how he was bringing her medicine for the cut and his always helpful advice. But the Doctor's eyes softened in understanding, and he took a step back.

"I had a question for you," he said, and the words sounded so lovely falling off his tongue that Rose's head spun and spun and she forgot how to breathe.

"Yeah?" she managed to mumble.

He smiled at her, and she swore she was going to murder _him_.

"You've seen the world," he commented. "I can tell you've seen enough of it. But it never was enough, was it?"

Rose stared at him, thinking about her longing for the stars and freedom and something bigger than this world. She remembered he was an alien, and how he was bigger and better than her world. "No," she said with finality. "It never was enough for me."

And it was exactly what he wanted to hear, because he grinned and his hand extended toward her, and she couldn't see his lips moving but she heard the words, "Care to see the universe?"

"Rose?"

Reality crashed down like tumultuous waves in the ocean, and the world stopped spinning for long enough that Rose could turn and face Mickey.

His eyes were wide, mouth opened in a delicate 'o' shape, and his expression was knowing. Rose swallowed, and her gaze caught on the bag in Mickey's hand.

"'Lo, Micks," she said, before slipping her hand into the Doctor's. "This is the Doctor, and he's gonna help me out for a bit."

Mickey's shoulders dropped, and his lips pressed into a fine line. "Figures," he muttered, and looked Rose straight. "You trust him?"

Rose's gaze shifted from Mickey to the Doctor, whose expression held the faintest of curiosity but was overpowered by the largest of smiles.

"Yeah," she decided. "I kinda do."

***

The time on her watch read 12:16, but she decided time was irrelevant now.

The Doctor had led her away from Mickey with messy, hasty goodbyes, and held her hand as he tugged her through the streets. She didn't speak much, mind whirling at what had just happened.

Decisions like this had led her into the mess her life was now.

_Funny how history tends to repeat itself._

Rose ripped her hand out of the Doctor's and stopped in horror. He turned, eyebrows raised, and she drew a shaky breath.

"What am I doing?" she asked him. "I don't know you. You don't know me. Why am I doing this?"

"You're a good judge of character?" he asked, winking. But Rose took another step back.

"I shouldn't do this."

"Rose, I saved your life," he reminded her, but his voice was gentle. "I'm hardly the person to doubt. You just admitted to Rickey that you trusted me."

"Mickey," she mumbled, even though her heart wasn't into it.

She looked up, and she saw that marvelous blue box just steps away. That marvelous box whose sight brought comfort to her mind, though she couldn't explain why. She looked at the Doctor, whose brown eyes were soft and gentle and unlike anything Jimmy Stone had ever been to her.

And something inside of her broke like a dam, and she couldn't stop the feeling of hope that burned in her heart until it consumed her.

"Who are you?" she asked, eyes wide. The Doctor extended his hand once again.

"I'm the Doctor," he told her. "And I'm just trying to help people in any way that I can."

Her laughter was nervous and shaky, but she took his hand all the same, and said, "I guess I'm here to do the same. Maybe you need some saving, Doctor."

His eyes held generations of torment and longing, and Rose knew in that moment that he needed her, too.

"Well, then, off we go! Where should we start?"

Rose thought about it, looking up at the cloudy sky and down at the grey concrete. "A shower," she said at last. "I just really want a shower. And a change of clothes. Tea, too. Maybe some ice for this."

She touched her swollen eye with her free hand, and the Doctor whined.

"The domestic approach to the universe," he muttered. "I should have known."

But Rose squeezed his hand, and his eyes lit up, and she said, "After that, show me something amazing."

**A/N: You know the drill. (;**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

It had been weeks since she had first stepped into his box, but it felt more like a home than any place had for the past year.

Rose took in the console room with wide eyes, mouth gaping at its beauty and immensity and sheer magnificence.

"It's just so fantastic," she sighed, and the Doctor squeezed her hand.

"This is just the beginning," he informed her, and Rose's breath caught in her throat. She couldn't help but hope he meant more than just his ship.

"Is it more amazing than this?"

She didn't miss the way his lip curled as he winked, and she grinned as he tugged her out of the doorway. "I only promised you a quick shower and a change of clothes before I showed you something amazing, and I've got just the place in mind."

He took her through endless halls, walls peppered with closed doors that she was dying to open. He pushed one open at last, and pulled her through a doorway and into a closet the size of eternity.

"You could find anything you possibly want in here," he instructed. "Find whatever you'd like. Shower's just behind that door there."

He pointed, but she couldn't pay attention to where. Her own fingers stretched out to feel the fabric of a shimmering, silvery dress. A slight sob escaped her lips, and her fingers fluttered to her mouth in surprise.

"Culture shock!" he stated, matter-of-fact. "Happens to the best of us."

"It's just so unreal," Rose blurted, turning to him. "I mean. It's gorgeous here. Truly amazing. An' you're an alien and you want me to travel with you through space. An', like, the first thing that went through my head was, 'nothing to lose'. Do you even truly want me here?"

"Why wouldn't I?" the Doctor asked, and his tone was laced with heavy confusion.

"I'm a chav?" she suggested, and his eyes narrowed.

"Nah, you are brilliant, you are. I only take the best," he said instead. "Now scurry off. We've got placed to be!"

He left her alone, like it's easy to choose an outfit in such an absolute place. She was left with her doubts and an endless supply of gorgeous clothes, and she had no idea where to start on either of them.

Instead of moving, her fingertips moved to her face, ghosting along the bruises and causing her to wince. She realized she must look like a wreck, and moved towards a door she's almost certain he said was the bathroom.

She told herself it's as good a start as any.

"Blimey," the Doctor said in surprise, when she had stepped into the room. Rose raised an eyebrow and glanced down at herself. She hadn't chosen anything too spectacular, feeling skeptical at the openness of his home to her. But his eyes stared at her as though she were the universe itself.

"You look fantastic," he said, pushing himself away from the large console in the center. His eyes looked her head to toe, but it felt more calculating than romantic. "Considering."

Rose was affronted. "Considering what?"

To her surprise, he reached out and cupped her face. Her breath hitched as his thumb traced below her eye, and she winced as his touch drew pain. He pulled away, looking remorseful. "Considering your injuries are in my power to heal, yet I've done nothing to fix them. Don't move."

When he brought his hand back to her face to keep her steady, Rose closed her eyes and pretended the touch didn't set her skin aflame. She heard a soft buzzing, and a warmth under her eye that most assuredly was not caused by his caress. But when she tried to open her eyes, the Doctor said, "No, no, keep 'em shut for just another mo'."

His touch left her face unexpectedly, and the buzzing sound disappeared. Rose opened one cautious eye before the other, and saw the Doctor beaming.

"It looks a lot more faded now," he told her. "It should have dulled the pain as well."

Rose reached up to examine her eye, and was relieved to touch the soft skin, without feeling swelling or pain. "Ta."

The Doctor shrugged. "I'll heal any others you'd like later, but we've got appointments to keep."

"The others?" Rose teased, smiling wickedly at him. "The only other ones are covered by clothes from your closet."

The Doctor blushed, tugging at his collar. "Yes," he squeaked. "Well. Appointments to keep and all."

"Where are we headed, then?" Rose asked. The Doctor flipped a lever on his console.

"The end of the world."

Her green and blue planet was tainted with streaks of fiery reds and oranges, as the Sun consumed it with such violence that Rose was shaken to the core.

Her wonder was drowned by the realization that the only life she'd ever known was burning to ash, and all she could do was watch in silence.

The Doctor looked at her before his gaze shifted back to the burning planet. "Penny for your thoughts."

Instead of saying the things running through her mind as she watched her planet's final moments, all that escaped Rose's lips was a whispered "You never told me it was a time machine."

The Doctor chuckled at that, but peered at her with vast curiosity. "Tell me what you're really thinking," he said.

She couldn't tear her eyes away from the Earth.

"Why'd you bring me here?" she asked, words tumbling out of her throat without her consent and spreading tension through the air.

She waited for his answer, one that somehow she knew would never come. Instead, he extended his hand closer to hers. She felt her skin prickle as his touch grew closer to hers, and sought out the comfort she craved. Her fingers were interwoven with his before she could blink, and then she let out a heavy sigh.

"S'like," she began. "Like, that's the only world I've ever known. I rode my first bike, broke my first bone, fought with my mum, made a good friend, made mistakes on that planet. Some version of me is buried in the ground out there. Anything I left behind to be remembered by is down there. An' now it's in flames. No one to remember me, or any of the great men and women who were born on Earth and changed it for the better. It's all just...gone. Consumed by fire and heat and greed because the Sun couldn't get enough."

She could feel his brown eyes looking at her, hard and calculating. But she still couldn't look away from her planet.

"My mum's dead, then," Rose whispered. "Mum. Micks. Shareen and Keisha, Madison and Cal. They're gone. I'm the only one left to remember them."

The Doctor squeezed her hand, and Rose closed her eyes. She could still see red behind her eyelids, and she wondered how long the image would haunt her.

"The end of the world," the Doctor said, voice quiet.

Rose trembled, his words enough to shatter her self-control, and her breath racked her body as she tried to calm down.

_"Earth death in two minutes. Please gather in the Bad Wolf Observatory," _sounded the PA system, and a sob ripped it's way out of Rose's throat. The Doctor pulled her closer, pressing her to his chest and wrapping his arms around her. She was tense, but made no effort to move.

"I brought you here to see what you'd see at the end of your world," he whispered, closing his eyes and holding her tighter. "I wanted to know if what I felt was justified."

"Was it?" Rose mumbled against his lapels.

"Yeah," he told her. "It must have been.

_"Earth death in thirty seconds."_

"Oh, God," Rose gasped, and the Doctor pulled her away from the window.

"Let's go," he whispered.

On Earth, present time, millions of years before the sun would expand to take the last breath of the green and blue planet, thousands of people filled the streets of London as they bustled past in hurries. Rose stood in the middle of them, frozen in place, and she questioned why she ever began running.

"They're in such a hurry to get nowhere," Rose said, looking up at the Doctor. His returned gaze was soft. "They have all these places to be, but no real reasons to be there, and they hurry. The world is ending, millions of years from now, and all these people don't realize that their lives have barely just begun."

"Your planet isn't gone."

They were the first words he had spoken since placing her back on his ship, and they shook her to the bone.

"Yes, five million years from now, the sun will expand and the planet will burn. But it's still here, right now. And its inhabitants aren't gone. You humans moved out of Earth. You're still remembered out there. Earth is here. It hasn't gone anywhere, and it won't. It's memories and inhabitants live for quite some time."

Rose stared at the people scurrying past, and the realization of what he had given her hit her hard.

"Thanks," she murmured, and he looked at her with understanding lingering behind his gaze.

She watched the bustle of people for another moment before an overwhelming feeling took over took a heavy, deep breath, and released with with a sigh as a familiar scent caught her taste.

"Do you smell chips?" Rose asked, as the Doctor practically giggled. He grabbed her hand, and started to tug her away from the heart of business. "I _really_ want chips."

"I know just the place," he said, giving her a wink.

She wondered if every second she spent with him would be like this, crazy and overwhelming and full of adrenaline, and some other feeling lurking in her blood, turning it soft whenever he smiled at her.

She figured it wasn't a bad life, but it was better with him by her side.


End file.
